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Topic: Rickenbacher Electro Spanish? |
Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2002 10:06 am |
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Could one of you Rick experts/fanatics -- Ray M.? Rick A.? -- please enlighten me on what this guitar is: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=922754904
I'm presuming it's one of the ill-fated Rickenbacher Bakelite Spanish guitars, but what's with the "Swiss Cheese" holes? Are they part of a weight-loss program? |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2002 10:16 am
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I saw one last week .... real nice shape... around $1500 I think ...
A pretty "beat up/trashed"... Tenor converted to 6 string one ...went off a few months ago for around $500 ....
This "Mars" one ... I guess someone got "creative" with the decorative "sound holes" ... You can see where the tone control was and the little holes placed around it ...
And that whole bridge/tailpiece ??? ... the ones I have seen all had the standard string thru the body design.
Pretty heavy I'm sure ...
A cousin was offered ... The "Vibrola" ... with a built in "Automatic Vibrato" unit installed ... It was so heavy they incorporated a "Stand/Amp" combo to help support it 
Nice pre-war "Shoes" ... I'd like one .... kinda a "long scale" bakelite ....
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"If the SHOES fit ... you must EQUIP..."
[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 18 November 2002 at 10:41 AM.] |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2002 10:18 am
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Once again, Frankensteel appears.
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
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Paul Warnik
From:
Illinois,USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2002 12:56 pm
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| If that is an Electro Spanish Bakelite-it is very rare to find one in original condition-although I have seen several-long ago I had one that I sold to Bob Brozman-like most of the ones that you will see-it had a bowed neck and considerable fretware so that it was unplayable Spanish style-but Bob B said that he was going to play it anyway because the round neck ones actually work well for conversion and playing Hawaiian style due to the slightly longer scale neck |
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2002 12:56 pm
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| I take that to mean you've seen this one before, Gerald? |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2002 1:15 pm
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Russ,
No, I've never seen this guitar before. I'm referring to the fact that this guitar has been "improved" upon (probably with an ice pick).
Why do people do these things to instruments?
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
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Doug Smith
From:
Medway, Ohio
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Posted 18 Nov 2002 2:00 pm
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Someone mentioned to me recently that I could use my Electro Spanish as a long neck lap steel. Gerald Ross and I compared the Spanish with his Hawaiian. The scale lengths are the same!
More often than not, the bakelite Spanish necks are warped enough to seriously affect their playability. The frets are bakelite-my instrument shows quite a bit of wear. I guess you were supposed to buy a new neck when you wore the frets out. |
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Paul Warnik
From:
Illinois,USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2002 4:29 pm
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| Doug-my friend-I guess I stand corrected-I have never actually measured the scale lengths between the Spanish and Hawaiian bakelites-the Spanish one looks longer to me and Brozman told me the scale was longer-so that is what I believed-but if you have taken the measurements-then I believe what you have stated is fact-thanks-PW |
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2002 4:43 pm
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| I never would have guessed they were the same length ... how wide is the Spanish neck compared to a lap steel? Is that why it looks so much longer? |
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Paul Warnik
From:
Illinois,USA
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Posted 19 Nov 2002 7:05 am
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| I just figured it out-the scale length is the same but the Spanish neck is longer-it has to do with bridge placement-the strings on the Hawaiian attach through right over the bridge at the tail end-But the Spanish models have the pickup moved further up on the body and the strings attach through by the bridge which was also moved further up the body therefore a longer neck was needed-that is probably why they warped more than the Hawaiian guitar necks-Of the handfull of these that I have ever encountered-only one was in playable (Spanish) condition-PW |
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 20 Nov 2002 8:03 pm
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If you're looking for an Electro Spanish -- without a Rickenbacher label -- check out http://www.guitarville.com/inv/inventory.asp
(This guitar was one eBay a couple of weeks ago. The $890 top bid did not meet the reserve, but I'd guess there is plenty of room for bargaining. I've purchased one guitar from these folks, and they struck me as straight shooters.)
Does anyone know the story behind the Premiervox name? Gruhn's Guide doesn't make any reference to it.[This message was edited by Russ Young on 20 November 2002 at 08:04 PM.] |
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Eric Stumpf
From:
Newbury, NH 03255
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Posted 22 Nov 2002 8:41 am
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| Having owned and recently sold a 1938 Spanish neck bakelite Rick I have the following to offer: Towards the late 30's, these guitars abandoned the "string through" body anchoring for the strings and did begin using those trapeze-style tailpieces. The Electro Spanish guitars from this era did not have the holes through the body. I did set mine up Hawaiian style but it was a complete failure due to the proximity of the strings to the top of the magnet. Without canning the original bridge saddle and using a modified tailpiece, you won't get the proper clearance. As a Spanish neck standard guitar, it was a tone monster but the worn bakelite frets made the intonation unbearable. |
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